Robinhood Plans Blockchain-Based Trading for US Securities in Europe: Report

Robinhood is developing a blockchain-based platform that will allow retail investors in Europe to trade US securities, including stocks.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday that the initiative will likely be launched in partnership with a digital-asset firm. Both Arbitrum, a blockchain overlaid on Ethereum, and Solana have been under consideration for the collaboration, though discussions are still ongoing.

This move to offer tokenized US securities aligns with a broader trend in the financial industry.

As global institutions explore blockchain’s potential, they see an opportunity to cut costs tied to traditional trading infrastructure while benefiting from greater transparency and standardization.

The company didn’t return Cryptonews’ request for comment by press time.

While everyone's focused on Jerome Powell, Robinhood is evaluating whether to use Solana or Arbitrum as the backbone of a new service that will let European retail investors trade US stocks.

The long-term outlook for crypto is dependent on crypto-specific fundamentals, not 25bps… pic.twitter.com/jj4VK68oXY

Robinhood, which currently only offers cryptocurrency trading to its European Union customers, recently secured a brokerage license in Lithuania. This will allow the company to expand its services within the EU to include stock trading.

In addition, Robinhood is in the process of closing a deal to acquire crypto exchange Bitstamp, which would enable the company to offer crypto-linked derivatives under Bitstamp’s MiFID multilateral trading facility license.

The company has enjoyed strong financial performance, with a 50% jump in revenue for the first quarter of the year. A big chunk of this growth came from its cryptocurrency business, driven by a surge in trading volumes as investors sought to hedge against market volatility. As a result, the platform’s profits more than doubled, surpassing analysts’ expectations.

Despite its reliance on crypto for now, CEO Vlad Tenev said that Robinhood is working to diversify its business. The company plans to reduce its dependence on crypto transaction volumes over time.

“We’re focused on diversifying the business outside of crypto,” Tenev explained during the earnings call. “This will make us less reliant on crypto transaction volumes in the future.”

With its latest move, Robinhood aims to tap into the growing interest in blockchain-based financial products. The company’s European expansion, which is backed by Lithuania’s regulatory framework, could serve as a crucial stepping stone in its broader international growth strategy.

However, the platform’s success will hinge on its ability to attract a substantial user base and navigate evolving market dynamics in the EU.

The post Robinhood Plans Blockchain-Based Trading for US Securities in Europe: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.